fadl al kilab ibn al marzuban

Page 19

تَلْقَىfindsالظِّبَاءُthe gazelleعَنَتاًhardshipمِنْfromطَرْدِهِhis chasing

The gazelle encounters hardship from his chasing.

يَاOhلَكَfor youمِنْfromكَلْبٍa dogنَسِيجِof the weave ofوَحْدِهِits own unique kind

What a unique dog you are!

وَلَهُand for himفِيinهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaningأَشْيَاءُthingsحِسَانٌfine

And regarding this meaning, there are fine things for him.

وَمَعَانٍand meaningsمُخْتَارَةٌselected

And selected meanings.

وَمِمَّاand from whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىuponقَدْرِthe status ofالْكَلْبِthe dog

And among what indicates the status of the dog

كَثْرَةُthe abundance ofمَاwhatيَجْرِيrunsعَلَىonأَلْسِنَةِthe tongues ofالنَّاسِpeople

is the abundance of what circulates on the tongues of people

بِالْخَيْرِwith goodوَالشَّرِّand evilوَالْمَدْحِand praiseوَالذَّمِّand blame

with good, evil, praise, and blame,

حَتَّىuntilقَدْindeedذُكِرَit was mentionedفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Quran

to the extent that it has been mentioned in the Quran,

وَفِيand inالْحَدِيثِthe Hadithوَفِيand inالْأَشْعَارِpoemsوَالْأَمْثَالِand proverbs

and in the Hadith, poems, and proverbs,

حَتَّىuntilاسْتُعْمِلَit was usedعَلَىonطَرِيقِthe way ofالْفَأْلِgood omenوَالطِّيَرَةِbad omenوَالِاشْتِقَاقَاتِand derivationsلِلْأَسْمَاءِfor names

until it was used by way of omens, bad omens, and name derivations.

فَمِنْso fromذَلِكَthatأُكْلُبُUklubبْنُbinرَبِيعَةَRabi'ah

Among that is Uklub bin Rabi'ah,

وَكِلَابُand KilabبْنُbinرَبِيعَةَRabi'ahوَمُكَلِّبُand MukallibبْنُbinرَبِيعَةَRabi'ah

Kilab bin Rabi'ah, and Mukallib bin Rabi'ah,

ابْنُson ofنِزَارٍNizarوَكُلَيْبُand KulaybبْنُbinيَرْبُوعٍYarbu'

son of Nizar, and Kulayb bin Yarbu',

وَمُكَالِبُand MukalibبْنُbinرَبِيعَةَRabi'ahبْنِbinقُذَارَQudhar

and Mukalib bin Rabi'ah bin Qudhar,

وَكِلَابُand KilabابْنُbinيَرْبُوعٍYarbu'وَمِثْلُand likeهَذَاthisكَثِيرٌis much

and Kilab bin Yarbu', and much is like this.

وَالْكَلْبُand the dogأَيَّدَكَmay support youاللَّهُGodمَنَافِعُهُits benefitsكَثِيرَةٌare many

And the dog, may God support you, its benefits are many,

فَاضِلَةٌsurpassingعَلَىoverمَضَارِّهِits harmsبَلْratherهِيَtheyغَامِرَةٌoverwhelmingلَهَاthemوَغَالِبَةٌand prevailingعَلَيْهَاover them

surpassing its harms, rather they overwhelm them and prevail over them.

وَلَمْand notتَزَلِhave ceasedالْقُضَاةُthe judgesوَالْفُقَهَاءُand the juristsوَالْعُبَّادُand the worshippersوَالْوُلَاةُand the governorsوَالنُّسَّاكُand the ascetics

And the judges, jurists, worshippers, governors, and ascetics

الَّذِينَwhoيَأْمُرُونَenjoinبِالْمَعْرُوفِgoodوَيَنْهَوْنَand forbidعَنِfromالْمُنْكَرِevil

who enjoin good and forbid evil

لَاdo notيُنْكِرُونَdisapprove ofاتِّخَاذَهَاkeeping themفِيinدُورِهِمْtheir homes

do not disapprove of keeping them in their homes,

مَعَalong withذَلِكَthatيُشَاهِدُونَهَاthey witness themفِيinدُورِthe homes ofالْمُلُوكِthe kings

while also witnessing them in the homes of kings.

فَلَوْhadعَلِمُواthey knownأَنَّthatذَلِكَthisيُكْرَهُis dislikedلَتَكَلَّمُواthey would have spokenوَنَهَوْاand forbiddenعَنْfromاتِّخَاذِهَاkeeping them

Had they known that this was disliked, they would have spoken out and forbidden keeping them.

بَلْratherعِنْدَهُمْthey believeأَنَّهُمْthat theyإِذَاwhenقَتَلُواthey killedالْكَلْبَthe dogكَانَthere wasفِيهِin itعُقُوبَةٌa penalty

Rather, they believe that if they were to kill a dog, there would be a penalty for it,

وَأَنَّand thatمَنْwhoeverكَانَwasأَمَرَcommandedبِقَتْلِهَاkilling themفِيinقَدِيمِancientالزَّمَانِtimes

and that whoever commanded killing them in ancient times

إِنَّمَاwas onlyكَانَdue toلِمَعْنَىa meaningوَلِعِلَّةٍand a reason

did so only for a specific meaning and reason,

وَأَنَّand thatهَذِهِtheseالْكِلَابَdogsبِمَعْزِلٍare apartعَنْfromتِلْكَthose

and that these dogs are distinct from those.

وَقَالَand saidعُمَرُUmarبْنُbinالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattabرَضِيَmay God be pleasedاللَّهُwith himعَنْهُGod

And Umar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said:

مَنْwhoeverلَاdoes notيَعْرِفُknowالْأُمُورَmattersيَقُولُsaysأَنَّthatالْكَلْبَthe dogمِنَis ofالسِّبَاعِpredatory beasts

"Whoever does not know matters says that the dog is one of the predatory beasts.

وَلَوْand hadكَانَit beenكَذَلِكَsoمَاit would not haveأَلِفَbefriendedالنَّاسَpeople

Had it been so, it would not have befriended people

وَاِسْتَوْحَشَand felt alienatedمِنَfromالسِّبَاعِpredatory beasts

and felt alienated from predatory beasts,

وَكَرِهَand dislikedالْغِيَاضَthe thicketsوَأَلِفَand befriendedالدُّورَhouses

and disliked thickets and befriended houses,

وَاسْتَوْحَشَand felt alienatedمِنَfromالْبَرَارِيopen lands

and felt alienated from the open deserts,

وَجَانَبَand avoidedالْقَفَارَbarren wastes

and avoided barren wastes,

وَأَلِفَand frequentedالْمَجَالِسَgatheringsوَالدِّيَارَand dwellings

and frequented gatherings and dwellings.

وَكَيْفَAnd howلَاnotيَكُونُcould it beكَذَلِكَsoوَهُوَwhile itلَاdoes notيَرْضَىaccept

And how could it not be so, while it does not accept...